A California health system has noted an "exponential" increase in patients using Wegovy, Mounjaro and other similar drugs for weight loss, according to a first-of-its-kind study.
Researchers tracked 87,935 patients' EHRs throughout University of California Health, a six-hospital system, between 2014 and 2022. They evaluated medication fills for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which mimic a gut hormone that suppresses appetite and promotes a feeling of fullness.
The GLP-1s included in the study were Adlyxin, Byetta, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Trulicity, Victoza and Wegovy. Only Saxenda and Wegovy are approved for weight management — the rest are Type 2 diabetes drugs.
During the first year each medication was available, the mean monthly growth rate was 85% for Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and Saxenda. Wegovy's rate of growth was more than 100%, and Mounjaro's exceeded 200% for the first seven months.
The researchers said the results show a "substantial shift in utilization patterns," which could affect access — many GLP-1s indicated for Type 2 diabetes are currently in shortage — and disrupt the healthcare industry's financial profile.
This monetary shift can go either way, since these products can cost about $1,000 for one patient's monthly supply and most payers do not cover weight loss medications, thus increasing personal healthcare costs. On the other hand, "overweight and obesity-related medical costs are estimated at more than $92 billion annually in the United States," the researchers wrote, meaning the sudden uptake of these therapies could result in lower medical costs for cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of California-Irvine, and the results were published Oct. 10 in Science Direct.